Data analytics can include searching and analyzing structured and unstructured machine data to facilitate infrastructure and application management. Existing management approaches can include tools and capabilities to aid in problem isolation, root cause analysis, problem resolution, and preventive maintenance. By way of example, capabilities in the area of machine data analytics can include providing expert advice and generating alerts. Providing expert advice includes providing contextually relevant guidance and/or suggestions extracted from materials such as technical notes, articles, product documentation, etc. Generating alerts can include identifying system patterns (combinations of logs, metrics, configuration options, etc.) that are predictive of potential issues (for example, outages or service level agreement (SLA) violations) and raising alerts to the administrator and/or operator for preventive action.
Such existing management approaches, however, do not incorporate social media data derived from online discussion forums, message boards, social networks, etc. Social media data sources are growing sources of information, and current as well as prospective customers refer to such data for information on products and services.
Accordingly, a need exists for techniques capable of leveraging social media as a data source to provide contextually relevant guidance and alerts for IT troubleshooting.